The REAL weight you need to lose

It’s been a while, but I’m back! I took this year off from blogging to focus on finishing the book (it’s coming this next week!!) and making some adjustments in my life. God has a way of changing, challenging, and growing us in the most unexpected ways and that’s what this past year has been for me. But that’s another story for another day.

What brought me back to blogging today was guilt and shame – not mine – but yours.

I started my day after Thanksgiving with an awesome spinning class, outside in 40 degree weather, at 7:00am, on my day off. But I didn’t go to this spinning class to burn off my calories from yesterday or beat myself up for what I chose to eat for Thanksgiving dinner – I went because I love spinning and I rarely get to go anymore. I was excited to have the morning free to move my body and enjoy being outdoors.

Now, before you think I’ve always viewed exercise from that perspective, let me quickly correct that thought – I used to see exercise as a way to whip my body into shape. And once I began exercising on a regular basis, I most definitely was borderline obsessive with burning calories and “making up” for overindulging.

Even the instructor today kept “reminding” everyone of how much they ate yesterday and how we needed to burn off those calories. And I get it, much of the fitness world is driven from this vantage point. And guess what, it does work for some. This type of “motivation” keeps some people balanced in their food and exercise choices and they go about their merry way, living life without the weight of guilt and shame.

But for those of us who have struggled with having a healthy relationship with food (and ourselves) – this type of “motivation” is anything but healthy. To focus solely on moving our bodies to burn calories and punish ourselves for food choices leads to a vicious cycle of guilt and shame.

And my friend, that’s a weight that will keep you struggling with any health/fitness goals you currently have.

Guilt and shame will never be healthy and positive motivators to change. I do believe guilt can serve a purpose in our lives of course correcting and/or evaluating decisions we make for our continued growth. But we were never made to live in a place of guilt.

And shame is a dish best dropped in the garbage. Shame is an emotion brought on by constantly beating yourself up and believing that you are unworthy and incapable.

If you take anything away from this message today – let it be that you no longer allow shame to have a place in your life.

Shame is a weight that you never have to carry again.

God has provided all of the grace you need for any decision you’ve made in your life. He’s also given you a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. These are the emotions that will help you move forward in a healthy way with food and your weight loss goals.

But to fully experience these gifts, you have to be willing to let go of what the world tells you to do. You have to be willing to step out of the cycle of defeat that you know and are “comfortable” with – and you have to trust that His word is true – that you have all the strength and wisdom you need to move forward in true health – mind, body, and spirit.

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